Backyard putting green and citrus courtyard

A putting green is the hardest artificial turf install to get right, because every fault in the base shows up in the roll of the ball.

The base

The site was cleared, compacted and graded to eliminate low spots before any turf was cut. On a green the grading tolerance is far tighter than on a lawn, and the base of quarter-minus crushed gravel is what holds that tolerance over time.

The surface

Putting green turf takes a finer infill than a lawn does. The result is year-round greenery with low maintenance requirements and no irrigation demand at all.

The surround

Citrus trees and a stone planter frame the green and give it shade on one side, so the space is usable earlier in the day than an open lawn would be.